PDFs and Document Level Accessibility for Math | Scribe

PDFs and Document Level Accessibility for Math

  • AdobeAdobe
  • VcuVcu
  • MicrosoftMicrosoft

Overview

This guide focuses on creating accessible equations using Word’s Equation Editor (OMML) and supported tools like MathType, ensuring that all document elements meet accessibility standards. It also outlines best practices for exporting Word documents to accessible PDFs using Adobe Acrobat, avoiding common pitfalls that make equations inaccessible. Additional sections address limitations in Google Docs and highlight recommended tools, resources, and references for accessible digital math content.

Microsoft Word

To create an accessible math document in Word, you follow the same general accessibility principles as you would to create any Word document. For a refresher,  review the micro course Digital Accessibility for VCU Faculty. However, mathematical equations introduce additional accessibility challenges. This guide focuses on making equations accessible and ensuring that all other document elements meet accessibility standards.

Since Word 2007, Microsoft Word has used OMML (Office Math Markup Language).OMML, an XML-based standard, is similar to MathML but Microsoft specific. Equations created with the Insert → Equation tool are accessible, while those made with older versions of Word are not.

Math faculty may also use MathType, a desktop and Office 365 add-in for Word. MathType equations can be saved as OMML or MathML, the W3C standard for accessible mathematical markup. MathType also easily converts between the two. Both MathML and OMML equations are accessible.

Create an Accessible Word Document 

  1. Add a short but clear title 

  2. Use built-in styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, Normal, etc.).

  3. Add alt text for all images, figures, and charts.

  4. Use true lists and tables (not manually indented text).

  5. Add header rows to all tables

  6. Verify that all equations were created with the “Insert → Equation” tool. Or used MathType to convert equations to MathML

  7. Check accessibility

    1. Go to Review → Check Accessibility 

    2. Fix any flagged issues.

  8. Congratulations! Your .docx math document is accessible. 

You may share your document as .docx or convert it to HTML. Follow the steps below to create an accessible PDF version.

Google Docs

Google docs’ built-in Insert → Equation tool does not use an XML-based standard, so equations created this way are not accessible. To create accessible equations in Google Docs, use MathType, the EquatIO Chrome extension, or MathJax.

PDFs

To create an accessible PDF, begin with an accessible Microsoft Word document (.docx). Scanned documents are extremely difficult to make accessible. Equations and handwritten content cannot be accurately interpreted by OCR and must be recreated using digital tools such as Word’s Equation Editor or MathType to ensure accessibility.

To create an accessible PDF, do not use “Save As PDF,” as this converts all equations to images and makes them inaccessible. Instead, use the Acrobat tab on the Word ribbon or the Adobe Acrobat application to create your PDF. Finally, run the Accessibility Check in Adobe Acrobat Pro to verify that your document meets accessibility standards.

Using the Acrobat Tab 

  1. Open your .docx file in Word.

  2. Verify the Acrobat tab appears on the ribbon. If not, install or enable it via Acrobat’s installer.

  3. Click the “Acrobat” tab → Create PDF.

  4. In the “Save Adobe PDF File As” dialog:

    1. Choose a name and location for your PDF.

    2. Click Options… and verify:

      1. Convert document information

      2. “Create Bookmarks” and “Convert Word Headings to Bookmarks” is checked

      3. “Enable Accessibility and Reflow with Tagged Adobe PDF” is checked.(This is critical for accessibility)

    3. Click OK, then Save. Acrobat will automatically launch and open the new PDF when it’s done.

Using the Adobe Acrobat Application

  1. Open Adobe Acrobat Pro. 

  2. Go to “File → Create → PDF from File…”

  3. Select your Word document.

  4. Acrobat will use PDFMaker behind the scenes and preserve accessibility tags.

Verify PDF Accessibility

  1. Open your PDF in Acrobat Pro.

  2. Go to “All Tools → Prepare for Accessibility” 

  3. Run “Check for Accessibility.”

  4. Pay attention to:

    • Tagged PDF (should be Yes)

    • Logical reading order (check manually)

    • Headings and structure

    • Alt text for images

    • Tables with headers

To pass the Accessibility Checker, you often need to add a document title and specify a primary language. In Acrobat Pro, these can be set in the Document Properties window. If other accessibility issues appear, it’s usually easier to correct them in Microsoft Word and then re-create the PDF.

References and Recommended Resources

For more information, refer to Recommended Resources: PDFs and Document Level Accessibility for Math.